Odds on for White Christmas
by Peter Gibbs
Bookmakers in the UK face a £500,000 pay out if the expected snow arrives on Christmas Day. The Met Office is confident that Arctic winds will sweep southwards during the festive period, bringing snow to some northern areas during Christmas Eve. Many parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales could wake to a fairytale covering on Christmas morning, with a reasonable chance of Southwest England also seeing snow in time for the turkey. The Midlands and Eastern England look more likely to stay green, although their turn may come on Boxing Day as snow showers move in from the North Sea.
It’s not been easy though for travellers heading home for the holiday period, or flying off to more exotic locations. Severe gales swept across Scotland and Northern England, uprooting trees and even overturning some high-sided vehicles. Restrictions were placed on bridges and ferry services were disrupted.
The Alpine ski resorts are a popular destination and there certainly won’t be a shortage of snow. In fact, blizzards, poor visibility and an increasing avalanche risk could make it difficult to get onto the slopes on Boxing Day, but that should set up some great conditions for the rest of the holiday week.
A White Christmas is guaranteed across a large part of the USA, after a winter storm dropped snow all the way from Texas to the Great Lakes, with bitter temperatures following on behind. Some parts of Indiana have seen as much as 25cm or 10 inches of snow and in parts of Arkansas children are looking forward to only the ninth White Christmas in 120 years.
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